Spindle mounting



April 27 1926.,

R. J? ALBRECHT SPIBDLE MOUNTING Filed-Feb. 21, 1922 4 citizen of the United States, residing at Raand State of \Viscom Patented Apr. 27, 1926(- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. ALBRECHT, BAGINE, WISQQNSIN, AS SIGNOR TO HAMILTON-BEACH MFG. COL, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

SPINDLE MOUNTING.

Application filed February 21, 1922. Serial No. 538,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. ALBRECHT, a

cine, county of Racine, sin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spindle Mountings, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thesame.

This invention relates to spindle mountings, and particularly mountings for vacu um cleaner brush-spindles.

In certain types of vacuum cleaners, the brush spindles have their ends mounted in open, downwardly extending pockets or notches, the spindle being normally held in place by-t he pull of an elastic belt which drives the spindle from the fan shaft. It

is sometimes necessary to remove this belt from its drive pulley or shaft so that its pull on the spindle is released. Inconvenience often esults in that the spindle is free to drop out of the mounting pockets or notches.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide spindle-retaining means such that spindles moupt'ed' as'above described are normally but removably held in place, even when the tension of the belt is released.

\Vith this general object in view the invention consists in the combinations, details of construction, and arrangements of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out. i

In the drawing:

Fig' 1 is a front end View, with parts in vertical section, of a port-ion of a vacuum cleaner constructed in accordance with the.

invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view (enlarged) of one end of the cleaner nozzle;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the spindle retainer removed; and

Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof. Referring to the drawing, there is shown by way of illustration, apart/of a vacuum.

cleaner comprising a fan casing 21, and a .nozzle 22 havinga suction mouth 23. Associated with thissuction mouth so as to engage the surfaceto be cleaned, is a brushing element comprising a spindle 24 provided with suitable brushbristles 25. There is shown in Fig. 2.

provided at each end of the nozzle a mounting for the ends of the spindle. At least one of these mountings has an open, downwardly extending pocket or notch in which the spindle end is adapted toseat, and in constructions embodying the invention to the best advantage, these endmountings have several pockets of different depth for a purpose hereinafter explained. Although capable of various constructions, in the form here illustrated, secured to each end of the nozzle, above the suction mouth, by screws 26, is an angularly movable bracket 27 which may be made of fibre or other suitable material. Each bracket 27 has formed in its periphery a plurality of U-shaped notches or 0 en pockets 28 of different depth, the bracket eing so positioned that one of its notches or pockets opens downwardly.

While the spindle ends which are to seat. in the open pockets may have various forms and constructions, in the exemplific'ation here illustrated, they are in the form of journal boxes. As shown, the spindle 24 has at each end a journal 29 formed by' a pin set in the spindle. The journal boxshown as an example, comprises a casing 30 closed at its outer end and trough shaped in cross section. The apex of the trough constitutes a bearing portion 31 for the journal 29 and the flaring portion 32 of the casing 30 provides a chamber for holding a lubricating element 35. In the present embodiment, the casings30 have cap members 34 that slip over the spindle as The combined journal box and cap member being placed on the spindle, becomes in effect, part of the spindle, the journal box constituting the spindle end that is-to be seated in the pocket of the mounting'bracket. The spindle is positioned for use by inserting its ends in the bottom notches or pockets of the brackets, as appears in Fig.

The purpose of the several notches or pockets is to enable the brushing element to be adjusted tocompensate for wear.. Vthen the bristles are new, the mounting brackets are set with the deepest notchesin position for use. After the bristlesof the brush have become worn, the spindle may be removed place less deep.

Thus the and a the Y bracket turned to notches in the bottom positlon. spindle is mounted nearerto the plane of the suction mouth to compensate for the wear of the bristles. v

The spindle may be normally held in position by the pull of an elastic driving belt. To this end, as here shown as an example, the spindle has a central pulley 36 over which runs a belt 37 of rubber or'other suitable material. This belt is driven by a pulley 38 on a drive shaft 39 which may conveniently be an extension of the fan shaft. The pull of belt 37 on the spindle draws the spindle ends, this instance the journal boxes 30, up into the notches or pockets and holds the spindle in place.

As before stated, the belt is sometimes removed from the driving position so that its pull on the spindle is released. To keep the spindle in position even upon release of the belt, there is provided a retainer device for preventing the spindle end from dropping out of its pocket, this device being displaceable to permit removal of the spindle when, desired. This may be accomplished, for example, by a displaceable loop arranged to pass below the spindle. Although capable of various constructions, in the present -embodiment, the retainer device comprises for each end of the spindle, a plate 40 of thin, spring metal having a spring loop 41 bowed outwardly or ofiset therefrom, as appears,

for example, in Fig. 5. The late 40 is mounted on the pin 26, being 0 amped between the bracket 27 and the end wall of the nozzle. So mounted, the ofi'set loo 41 is in a position to pass below the end 0 the spindle, thus acting as a' retaining clip to.

prevent the spindle from dropping out should the pull of the belt be released.

The spindle is, however, readily removed and inserted when desired. The spring loops 41 are easily pushed back to permit the spindle ends to pass or a substantial pull on the spindle causes displacement of the loops 41 from retaining position. Similarly, in reinserting the spindle, the loops 41 are easily displaced to permit the spindle ends to be seated in their pockets, whereupon the loops again spring into retaining position.

What is claimed is:

In a vacuum cleaner, in combination with a nozzle having a suction mouth, a brush spindle, a spindle mounting associated with the nozzle and having an open, downwardly facing pocket in which the spindle end is adapted to seat, and a plate associated with said 7 spindle mounting, having an offset spring loop arranged to pass below the spindle for normally preventing the spindle from dropping out and displaceable'to permit removal of the spindle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT J ALBRECHT. 

